V7 ch 10
Ship of no return
Masaru Uzumaki stood up as he marveled the huge ship floating upon the sea next to the small boat. It was so big, that he couldn't tell where the wooden planks began and stopped. He was immediately pulled back down to hide by Jinrin and Yanagi. They were hiding on a small boat so they could get access to the unknown vessel that was shrouded in mystery. Their mission was to free slaves who were living in the quarters of the city on the sea. As the boat started to move away from the vessel, he signaled for them to jump. Team 6 leapt off the small fishing boat and onto the vessel.
Masaru dug the spiked claws he was wearing on his hands and feet into the wooden planks. They were all cloaked in dark brown robes so they could camouflage with the ship. He kept his white eyes focused on the sky. It was all they could see from their spot.
Jinrin smiled as he started to pass his two teammates. "Interesting isn't it? It's an entire city floating on the sea. Take your time getting there, or you'll fatigue quicker. There doesn't seem to be anywhere to rest out here." He continued to climb.
"The climb isn't what worries me," Masaru said as he glanced at Yanagi. "It's the sharks in the sea." He unplunked the claws to move farther up.
Yanagi tried to keep her mind focused on the task. It was rather difficult for her. She kept reflecting back to Idai. Kiba had forbid him from going on the mission. Jinrin was still replacing him until further notice. Yanagi shook her head to clear her mind. She had to stay focused. Being caught right now wouldn't benefit her team.
Kiba chopped wood near the burning engine swinging the ax over his head. He narrowed his eyes as guards kept a close watch on him and a few others maintaining the engine's fire. It had been easy to be captured as a slave so he could board the ship. All he had to do was get drunk and sleep in the streets of a village near the sea. He was abducted from his spot in the middle of his slumber. Kiba had no idea where he was location wise.
Kiba stood up to stretch his back as the guards turned away. He couldn't figure out what deck he was on. Once he had been captured, his head was covered. He had been instructed to work the engine so he could stay alive. If they had no use for him, they offered to toss him overboard.
He bent over to throw more wood in as the guards checked on the workers' progress. Kiba tried to take a long jagged piece of wood into his pants as the guard passed him. He tensed as he felt someone touch his wrist. He looked up quickly to see an old man watching him.
"Don't try it," the old man said as he smiled at Kiba. "They check everyone once your shift is over. If you're caught, it won't matter how strong you are," he said touching Kiba's thick arms. "They'll do away with you to set an example," he said as he turned back around to tend to his own work.
Kiba dropped the piece of wood. As much as he hated to be without a weapon, he had no choice but to bear it. As the old man started to sweep, Kiba whispered, "Why are you helping me?"
The old man said quietly, "You remind me of someone I once knew. He was as daring as you to try to take on the guards over the Fire Keepers. Do not be as foolish as he was." He swept the deck softer, slower, his mind reflecting upon that day.
Kiba wasn't afraid of the guards, or the numbers moving around the deck. He'd take them all on – he had his pride as a ninja. However, as he continued to chop wood for the engine, he glanced back at the old man. "He was your son, wasn't he?"
The old man stopped moving his broom. He leaned upon it tiredly, his gray eyes looking beyond the present, into the past. "Yes," he answered softly. "He didn't want the guards to enslave our family. There were too many of them and too few of us. We had traveled from our village to another one in order to sell our harvest. There was nowhere for us to board since it was a small village. We had been staying on the outskirts camping. That's when they caught us. We were all drugged and taken away to this ship. I don't remember how we got here. All I know is when I woke up, my son was fighting several guards in the cells far below. My daughter screamed and he was killed."
"So where is the rest of your family," Kiba asked.
The old man turned his back to Kiba. "My daughter was immediately taken out of the cell after my son died. I haven't seen her since. Not sure if she is alive, or where she is. My wife died a few months after we were captured. She couldn't handle the stress bestowed on her. I've been working as a Fire Keeper for years. I've seen them come and go. I'm sorry I have lost my manners. My name is Razan Ichisada. You are?"
Kiba whispered to the old man as one of the guards glanced in their direction. He figured they were talking too much. "Kiba Inuzuka. I got captured on purpose, if that helps to ease your situation."
Razan looked at the man as if he had lost his mind in the past few minutes. "Why would anyone get caught to be a slave on purpose? Are you trying to prove something to someone – that you're capable of escaping based on a bet? I've seen that happen before, too. You underestimate the power of the guards."
Kiba threw wood into the fire with a heave. He waited a few minutes so the guards would assume their conversation had ended. "We were hired to free the slaves aboard this vessel," he answered the old man. "My team and I are here to do just that."
The old man looked at him with wide eyes. "Your team? Who exactly are you?" Razan wondered how many of Kiba's crew were here. Had they all tricked the guards to gain access to the ship?
"I'm a ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village," Kiba answered lowly. "Three others should be making their way up the side of the ship. If all goes successfully, all of you will be free."
"What you're saying is highly unlikely. In order to free everyone on board, you'd have to have the type of numbers to confront all of the guards at once. Each deck has at least forty guards upon it. There are approximately a hundred and twenty of us on each level. Three guards to one person. It means they are stronger than us," Razan countered. He thought the man was wasting his time trying to attempt such a feat.
Kiba shook his head at the old man. "I'm sure you're trying to save us from a horrible fate, but we have a job to do. Nothing will stop us from completing our mission. Don't underestimate my team. We've been trained to deal with types of missions such as this."
Razan waved his hand dismissing the matter. "I don't want to hear anymore foolishness. I won't have anything to do with you trying to break free. You're only going to get yourself killed. I won't help you."
Kiba smiled a slight grin at Razan. "You have already helped me, whether you realize it or not. You've told me how many guards and people are on each deck. The only thing I need to find out is how many decks on this ship there are. If there is four of us – that means one person on each deck. In addition, if each person can clear off half the guards, the slaves will outnumber the remaining half. There will be a riot."
"I hope you know what you're doing," Razan said as he let the ax hit the wood.
Jinrin was the first to touch down onto the main deck. He scurried to hide quickly behind a few barrels who were docked under the main bridge. There were defiantly guards keeping a lookout for other vessels on the water. His eyes scanned the area quickly. Anglers were casting their lines over the side. He supposed they were responsible for feeding the slaves below. In fact, once he saw a guard shout at a young man to try harder, his assumptions had been confirmed. As he hid quietly, his catlike eyes drifted to a small pink butterfly that was landed near the steps to the main bridge. He knew Yanagi was scanning the area, too. Jinrin formed hand seals once the coast was clear. His body began to change into that of a small panther cub.
Yanagi and Masaru darted to the barrels. Her butterfly scout had been keeping a watch to make sure the coast was clear. Upon ducking, she noticed Jinrin had already shifted into his animal form. She looked down at him. "Are you sure you'll be able to slip below the deck to find Kiba? The only entrance is in the middle of the main deck. We don't know which deck he is on or how many of them there are."
Jinrin smiled at Yanagi with a sly grin. "Of course. In this form, my scent is increased. All I have to do is run upon each deck and catch his scent. Considering it's night, they should all be in some sort of holding cell to sleep, right? Once I know where those are, I just have to slip in and search for him. The darkness should be enough to mask my appearance out there."
Masaru didn't trust the situation. The number of
people on the main deck was enough to be cautious over. However, he knew he was dealing with Jinrin. The guy's ego was enough to blow Rock Lee's out of the water. He rolled his white eyes. "At least listen to Yanagi's concerns instead of shooting her down so quickly." He eyed the panther cub.
Jinrin exasperated at Masaru. "You're just sore because I can go out there without being seen, unlike you." Before Masaru was able to voice another word, Jinrin saw his chance. He shot out from the barrels to zip behind each guard that was passing. He was using their shadows to help camouflage his appearance. As he made it closer to the steps that led below, a guard started to turn around. Jinrin leapt at the mast. He clawed his way up the mast quickly. He had to get out of sight. As he held onto the wood with his claws, two guards approached each other to talk. Jinrin held his breath as his ears moved around listening for an alert.
Masaru saw Jinrin having to take to the mast. He shook his head, as he kept low. "If he doesn't watch it, he's going to be caught." Masaru had to do something. Jinrin couldn't wait for the guards to move away. As he saw the men putting fish into baskets, he got an idea. "I'm going to pose as a fisherman, Yanagi. Those guards aren't moving."
Yanagi touched Masaru's arm as he started to form hand seals. "We're a team, Masaru. Instead of going off and doing things by yourself like Jinrin, perhaps we should work together on this. I'll be the fish you catch. That way, we can distract the guards together," she said with a smile.
Masaru almost hugged her. She was willing to put herself in that type of situation just to help him with a distraction. Before he realized what he was saying, he blurted out, "Yanagi, I love you!"
Yanagi's eyes widened. She looked at Masaru rather shocked. As she stared at him, he placed his hands over his mouth quickly. All he could do was stare at her with the same expression.
Masaru looked down at the deck. "Sorry," he said softly. He had to clear his head. They had to clear the path for Jinrin. He brought his hands to the front of his body and closed his eyes concentrating. Masaru managed to poof into an angler. He waited until the guards were turned away before he left the area.
Yanagi couldn't believe Masaru had blurted out such a thing to her. Was he harboring feelings for her? She wasn't sure. She wanted to believe he was caught in the moment. Once Masaru had managed to make his way to stand in line with the other anglers, she ran to leap over the side of the railing. Yanagi sunk her iron claws into the wood. As she made her way over to the fishing poles, she saw Masaru's line come down. She had to time it just right or she was going to end up pulling Masaru over the side of the ship. Yanagi dug her shoulders into the wood as hard as she could. She brought her hands to the front of her body and concentrated. As her body started to shake due to the difficulty of maintaining her position, Yanagi kicked off the side of the ship, spun towards the fishing line and poofed into a fish. She caught the line with her mouth.
Masaru felt the tug on the line. He reared his back and lifted his arms to throw Yanagi over his head. As the line went back, Yanagi let go of the fishing line. Masaru turned around to see her slap one of the guards beside the face. The man turned around angrily to look at Masaru who was trying to retrieve the fish.
"Hey, you, watch where you're throwing that fish! It's not a whale," the guard said as he bopped the angler on the top of the head with his fist. "If you're that good at fishing, catch twenty more!"
Masaru cowered back once he saw Jinrin making his way to the steps that went below. He apologized heavily to the guards and put Yanagi in the basket. He noticed the other anglers were empting their baskets into a much larger barrel that a strong worker was fixing to carry below. "Hang on, Yanagi; I think you're fixing to follow Jinrin. This guy looks like he's waiting for a few more fish. Just wait a little while," he whispered as he dumped her into the barrel.
Yanagi laid flat on her side as the man assisted plucking fish off the lines. She flopped a bit to try to get away from the opening. It was rather difficult being a fish in the open air. She sighed and panted. It was a lot of work to get upright again. Yanagi jumped a little as a bunch of fish were poured in. She couldn't see anything as the man lifted the barrel.
Yanagi Lee was carried below the decks. She kept as still as she could, her ears listening to conversations as she waited for her escape. The man finally sat the barrel down. He talked with a guard and left. Yanagi waited a few more minutes before she attempted to break free.
Yanagi wiggled until she made it to the top of the barrel. As her head poked out, her eyes moved around to see exactly where she was. Oh, this isn't good. I'm in the food storage area. She shot out from the barrel and poofed into her normal self. I'm sure they lock it from the outside, too. Sure enough, as she pushed on the door, it was indeed locked.
"Wonderful, Yanagi. No one knows where you are, either," she said as she looked out at the surroundings. There were barrels and boxes everywhere. Yanagi had a plan. "If I can't assist Jinrin in searching for Kiba, my butterflies can." She opened the sleeves of her hoodie. The butterflies flew out and swirled in the darkness. "I need you guys to help locate Kiba. However, I need one of you to tell Masaru where I am so he can get me out. He's on the main deck. Don't get caught," she said as they started to slip under the door.
Jinrin eased from one space to another to avoid being stepped on by the slaves, or guards. He thought being seen was enough of his troubles. As he raised his head on the third deck, he sniffed the air strongly, his ears slicking back to listen. He had yet to catch onto Kiba's sent. Jinrin's catlike eyes caught the sight of a pink butterfly moving throughout the area. He knew it was one of Yanagi's scouts. He began to follow it as it moved to another deck.
Jinrin darted from crate to crate, hiding himself as
each person passed. He panted hard as he shook his head. Trying to find one person in the city upon the sea was proving difficult. Each deck appeared as a separate neighborhood filled with life and obstacles. As he moved padding his paws upon the deck, his body cowered as he looked up at the swaying lanterns. It was the only source of light on each deck. He wondered briefly how long it had been for the people to witness the sun. As Jinrin hopped onto a cart that was moving from one area to the next, he caught sight of children being forced to work. He made his way under filthy sheets that was covering a mound of something unknown.
As Jinrin remained in place passing slaves and guards alike, his nose started to pick up a strong foul scent. His ears slicked back, as the scent seemed to increase as the cart was being hauled. The moment the lanterns flashed light onto the cart and its contents, Jinrin immediately knew the men were hauling rice. However, why would rice be in a mound on a cart and not in a container? As the men moved along, the cart had to be forced over an uneven part of the flooring. Jinrin jerked back as the rice shifted. His head turned around to see a finger sticking out of the rice. His eyes widened. He knew instantly what was being concealed in the rice.
Jinrin scurried out from under the cloth, disgusted at the presence of a dead body. He immediately jumped off the cart and ran underneath it letting it mask his presence. Whoever was in charge of the slaves was also in charge of the guards. There had to be a bigger threat on the main deck.
He was unsure how they were going to free the slaves to begin with. He wasn't entirely confident in the large task before his team. There had to be a way to get the guards, or slaves off the ship. Right now, he had to track Kiba. He grinned under the black fur that seemed to be on edge. He wasn't about to let a butterfly find Kiba before he did. Jinrin started to touch the walls with his paws. As he glued his chakra to the wood he made his movement in an arch so he could keep well above the prying eyes of the people below.
Masaru Uzumaki wasn't liking the situation in front of him. He crouched low in his position behind a statue. Yanagi was busy accessing the deck she was on overhead. He couldn't believe she had managed to get stuck in a food storage closet. Masaru's white eyes glanced in both directions. The slaves were defiantly moving around like zombies following a monotone-beating drum.
The only way he knew to slip past the guards was to impersonate one of them. As an unattractive gruffy looking man went around the corner, Masaru started to concentrate. He had to match every detail of the guard's clothes, his features, and his stance, or it wasn't going to work. He poofed into the man successfully. Masaru waited some time to make sure the man wasn't coming back before he started to mold into the crowd of people. As he kept his head lowered, the real guards were not able to decipher he was an imposter. Masaru Uzumaki slipped past them until he started to make his way to the lower deck. A guard glanced at him who was coming up the steps.
Masaru almost died as the man grabbed onto his arm. Had he been found out? The man jerked his thumb back at the way he had came.
"You need to hurry and switch posts," the man said. "I've been waiting an hour for you to relieve me." He appeared rather angry at having to wait on someone to take his place.
Masaru apologized lowly to the man and explained he had also been waiting for clearance. The man seemed to think about his words before he nodded, thus forgiving him. Masaru went down the steps slowly. He breathed a sigh of relief as he touched the bottom. This deck appeared to have people hunkered against the walls of the ship. He glanced from side to side. The slaves had made refuge on this deck and made it part of their home. There were sections labeled off for each group of slaves who were joined together. As his eyes searched them, he noticed they all wore certain colors of clothes. The colors told what jobs the slaves had. Masaru was able to figure out that the slaves closer to the steps were more important than the ones towards the back. The appearance and healthiness of the slaves told him what he wanted to know. The healthier the slave, the higher the rank, or more important the job. He was disgusted with captivity. It was something foreign to him. He was the son of the Hokage, after all.
Masaru stood guard at the end of the deck. He waited patiently for a signal from Yanagi about how they were going to free these people. He wanted to remain hopeful for these people. Masaru believed in equality when it came from his point-of-view. His father had told him everyone deserved to have shelter, food, respect, and live. A little boy tried to leave the area he was in and a guard snatched him back. Masaru growled under his breath. He wanted this mission to be finished. The sooner his team relieved these people of their torture, the better.
Kiba sat on his rear with his back against the wall of the holding cell. The ones who attended the engines of the ship weren't allowed to socialize with other slaves. He suspected they were seen as the lowest form of trash. Even the guards who were watching the other workers, who had replaced them, showed them no concern. Kiba narrowed his eyes. He sniffed the air. "I smell a dirty feline who needs a bath," he said lowly.
Jinrin dropped from the ceiling, flipped over in midair, and landed on the floor of the holding cell. He kept his body low so the guards wouldn't notice him. "You'd smell just as foul if you had been running your tail off. Do you have any idea where you are located?"
"Not really, but I know the guards don't watch the ones in the cell so heavily. They are focused on keeping an eye on the current workers." Kiba rotated his sore shoulders. Chopping wood all day was a hard job. "So where are the other two?"
"Yanagi is on the 10th deck. Last time I saw Masaru he was on the 11th deck. You, however, are on deck number fourteen. There are approximately twenty decks overall," Jinrin said as he whispered to Kiba. "How are we going to free these people if we are unaware the numbers against us?"
"Ah, but that is something we know. You can thank our elderly man over there for telling us the approximate number of guards on each deck. There are usually a hundred and twenty slaves on each level. He said there is one guard for every three people," Kiba said holding up his three fingers. "There are roughly two thousand and four hundred people aboard this floating city."
"Probably less than that," Jinrin said as he shrunk
even lower to the floor. A guard was coming. Kiba lifted his legs and leaned forward to where he was turned away. He appeared to be sleeping, but he was listening intently. Jinrin's catlike eyes kept watching the guard until the coast was clear. "They carry the dead away on carts," he said as Kiba's eyes showed concern. "I managed to stow away on one. The guards are pretty slick about it. The dead are being masked in mounds of rice. So there is no way of telling how many have died on this ship, or how many still remain. Either way, there are a lot of guards," he confirmed.
"If each of us takes one deck, we can even out the playing field for the slaves," Kiba said as he watched his student raise a brow. "Try to get rid of half of the guards on each deck. Do the best you can to entice the slaves into rioting against their captors. It's the best option we have."
"Yes, but you're not counting out the elderly, or children. I don't want to endanger either groups," Jinrin said as he glanced around the holding cell. "It's a dangerous situation, but I'll try to do the best I can. I have to go now. I know you're capable of getting out of here any time you feel like it." Jinrin slipped through the bars easily as he took off running.
Kiba smiled a toothy grin. "Hey, old man, get your clothes packed. Vacation is over," he said as Razan looked at him tiredly.
Yanagi looked at the guards fiercely as she stopped in the crowd of slaves. She was waiting for one of them to notice her. She was feeling feisty and ready to do some serious damage. As one of them glanced up at her, she smiled waving her hand towards the man. "Hey, cutie, you're not doing your job too well. You've let someone stow away on the ship," she said as she blew a kiss to the man.
The guard shouted, "Get her!" He and two other men started to chase the pink haired girl as she took off running through the slaves. He unsheathed his sword to strike at the girl. His anger was starting to boil. How had a kid managed to get on the ship? He didn't particularly care right now. All he knew was he had to stop her before his superior officer found out.
Yanagi stuck her tongue out at the three guards who were chasing her. The slaves had managed to move out of her way to see what was going on. "You old guys are too slow to catch me!" Oh, that set them on fire. They started to shout insults at her along with throwing a few kunai at her. Yanagi slid on her feet from side to side, as she ran. Training with her team had improved her speed and her strength. Yanagi was not afraid of the three men behind her. As one of them came within feet of her, she jumped in the air, and spun around to throw shuriken at the man. One of the shuriken went into his shoulder. She slid back on her feet and doubled over to high tail it.
"Alert the other guards on the deck," the second man instructed the third. "We have a ninja on board! She can't be the only one! There must be an army of them!"
Yanagi smirked. Her plan was working out just fine. One guard was injured, another was getting help, and one was on her tail. She formed hand seals in front of her body as she opened the sleeves on her hoodie. Hundreds of butterflies escaped from her clothing. As
Yanagi completed the hand seals, the butterflies formed a wall to shield her. "Butterfly kiss," she said as she blew a kiss at the insects fluttering in the air.
The man watched as the pink butterflies started to increase in size. He skidded on his feet to stop himself. Each one of them was now increased to three feet long with a wingspan of five feet. "What in the-," he was cut off as they started to swoop towards him. His eyes widened. He yelled and turned around to run.
Yanagi flipped her head to see guards appearing behind her. She was caught in the middle. "Alright, all I have to do is get rid of twenty of the guards. That should even things out for the slaves," she said as she pointed her finger at the oncoming slew of men. "Let's hang them by their toes, troupe!"
As the guards ran straight at the pink haired ninja girl a row of large butterflies started to come at them. Some of the guards unsheathed swords to strike at the insects while others threw kunai and shuriken. The butterflies darted around the moving objects with precision as they circled around to grab the men from behind. The captain of the guards watched as a few of his men were lifted into the air. Another row of butterflies lifted to help the first row entangle the men into mucus covered cocoons. The captain's mouth dropped as his men were stuck upside down to the ceiling.
Yanagi looked at the main man in charge with a smirk on her face. "Oh, come now, dear Captain, you won't have to worry about such a fate. I'll even let you make the first move," she said as she narrowed her eyes. By now, the slaves were watching the scene. They were starting to speak and feel as if they had some power over their situation. As anticipated, the man came running at Yanagi with his sword. She blocked a strike at her head with her kunai.
The man growled at her. How could a girl with butterflies beat him? "You're not going to get past me, wench! I don't know who you are, but you have a sense of arrogance!" He pushed her back as he used his sword to cut her shirt.
Yanagi flipped backwards a few times, her hands touching the floor as the man came at her swinging. On her last back flip, she twisted her body to her left to allow the man to lunge forward with his sword. As soon as the sword was stuck in the deck, she had him. Yanagi came spinning around like a top with her legs kicking at the man's side. Each kick became more determined, more serious as the man was finally thrown off his feet. He was in the air as Yanagi's feet touched the floor. As she stood, he hit the floor several times, head first. Yanagi Lee stood triumphantly as her butterflies flew behind her.
She turned her head to acknowledge the shaken slaves. "There are half the guards remaining. I know there is plenty of you who can take down the others. This is your chance to be free. I am not the only one who is helping the people aboard this ship. Three others are working on each deck. If we can manage to work together and put all of our strength into this fight, we will prevail!"
The slaves stared at her for a moment. They looked at each other. An old woman smiled as she brandished a gardening tool she had swiped from the upper deck. "You have my vote, young lady! Let's get them for the last time! I crave to see the sun again!"
Yanagi watched as the slaves started to run at the guards who were coming. She smiled as she ran with them, her butterflies in tow. If she could get the people to fight these men, then her team would have a good hundred people to assist their cause.
Jinrin padded his large paws on the deck as he zipped through the crowd of slaves. They started to scream and panic in fear as his panther form was overcome by the desire to hunt. He moved swiftly through the obstacles before him as several guards threw weapons at him. He snarled showing his whiskers as he slide sideways. Jinrin's claws marked into the deck as the guards came face to face with a real threat.
"Where the hell did that thing come from? How did it get aboard the ship," a man yelled as he threw kunai and shuriken at the beast. The animal seemed to dodge each weapon successfully, its long black muscular form darting from side to side. He turned around as the panther attacked a few of his men by jumping on them. He went after it quickly with his sword.
Jinrin jumped clear of the men as the man tried to strike at him. He turned his body around to pad slowly at the man. There was no fear in his eyes the moment he leapt. The man screamed as he tried to get Jinrin off. Jinrin sunk his teeth into the man's shoulder causing the man to retaliate by stabbing him with the sword. Jinrin roared in outrage as he slashed the man's face. He pawed at the sword as it was lodged in his arm. He tried to get it out, but wasn't able to in his current form.
The slaves aboard the ship didn't know what to do as the guards came around the corner to strike at the panther. They were watching in fear as the beast was caught with a large net. The panther growled and moved its body around to try to free itself. They didn't know how it had gotten on the ship, but it wasn't any match with a wound.
"Now that we've caught this unsightly beast, what do
we do with it? It's hard to explain how it got on board," a guard said as the beast panted. It was becoming fatigued with the blood flowing out of its arm. "Should we kill it?"
A man with a baldhead walked forward. He watched the beast as it lowered its body to the floor. "No, I don't believe we will. Its chakra is decreasing." As he said it, the panther's form started to change to that of a boy with black hair. The boy weakly latched onto the katana sticking out of his arm. He forced it out. "Who are you working for, boy? Tell me now, or your life ends."
Jinrin narrowed his eyes at the man before him. If it's one thing Kiba taught him, it was to be loyal to his team. He hadn't done that at first, but Yanagi and Masaru had grown on him in the past two years. Jinrin laughed at the pathetic sight of guards in front of him. "Go to hell," he said lowly. "You deserve nothing more fitting for enslaving these people."
The man stepped to where he stood over the boy. "You're a ninja aren't you? Haven't you learned that ninja are expendable by the villages that send them out? You're nothing more than a blood trophy." He raised his sword high over his head. "Goodbye."
Jinrin had managed to slip his hand into his pants without the man noticing. He threw a poison pellet straight into the man's face. As the purple cloud erupted, he threw the net off his form. Jinrin stood weakly as he grabbed his arm. He ran as quickly as he could to get away from the distracted guards.
Masaru smiled evilly as he ran with several of his clones down the deck. He was straight in the middle of the slaves as they ran with him. There was a clone on either side of him hot footing it on the walls. The guards were staring them down with their long swords at the ready. He signaled his two clones to throw the large shuriken on their backs. The clones threw the large iron weapons at the guards as he formed hand seals quickly.
The slaves yelled in triumph as they threw anything and everything at the guards. Boxes, sticks, shoes, and even tools went flying. The guards rotated their swords to block the weak attacks, but the ninja boy from Konoha had them beat. As the two large shuriken came at them, they ripped the deck apart. Lanterns, swords, and clothing went flying as each point of the shruiken tore a path.
Masaru Uzumaki kept his fingers in a perpendicular stance as he winked. "Sexy harem!" The guards reared back to throw weapons at him, but the moment his clones turned into naked women blowing kisses, they stopped. Their eyes rolled into the backs of their heads and blood spurted from their noses. Masaru kept his form still as he giggled as a female, with his arms over his head and smoke covering the important parts of his body. "Bet you boys never saw a body like this!"
Masaru poofed into his normal thirteen-year-old body. He smiled big as he put his hand behind his back. "Well, not too bad if I say so myself! Sure helps picking up points from my dad!" As he stood at the ready, more guards came around the corner. He rotated his shuriken at the same time his clones did. Masaru held onto the large shuriken as it spun close to his body. "You guys are in for a real treat! An Uzumaki sundae," he said as the three shuriken went flying.
The guards tried to avoid the three shuriken by lowering their bodies to the deck, or jumping aside. As the shuriken became lodged again, the guards were back on their feet. Masaru signaled his clones to attack the men. "Never teach an old dog new tricks," he said as he went in for the punches and kicks. He rotated his body in midair to kick a guard aside as his clone popped behind him to guard his back. This is getting to be interesting!
Kiba threw a guard over his head at several men as they came towards him. He growled as his heart raced, blood boiling at the tension in the air. He was surrounded. Unlike previous battles in his younger days, he didn't have his faithful companion Akamaru to help him. No, he was completely alone with fifteen guards aiming their swords at him. Kiba had to think of a way to get out of this. He knew the three others on his team were fighting overhead. He had to find a way to get past these people.
Razan Ichisada recognized Kiba the moment he saw the younger man overtake the guards. It hadn't lasted long. His old eyes searched the area around them as the guards kept the slaves away from the incident. He tried to figure out a way for the man to get past them. As he glanced around, he saw the concern in the eyes of the slaves. They're tired of seeing their families and friends killed by these men. We have to do something to help him. As Razan saw Kiba lower his body, his shoulders tensing, he came up with a plan. "There's more of them than there are of us. They've led us to live this life out of fear! We have to help that man!"
"What can we do against skilled guards with weapons," a younger man said as he looked at the old man. "Fire Keepers are only used to make sure the engines move the ship! We don't have any weapons and we're searched every time we exit."
"They'll strike us down before we can manage to help him, much less, ourselves," a woman said in defiance of the old man's suggestions.
"No, listen to me! He stowed away on this ship to help free us! In addition, he isn't the only one here. He's a ninja from Konoha," Razan said to the top of his voice.
"A ninja? Why would Konoha bother to free slaves from the ship of no return," another man said as he stepped forward. "What could they gain from seeing this ship sink?"
"All of you are talking nonsense," a young boy with black hair said as he held his arm. The old man before him put his hand out towards him. "I was wounded helping people like you on the deck above. I'm not going to let my trainer and teammates fall to the likes of them. The help you need is before you. However, no one can make you grab it. Your fear is cementing your feet to the floor." Jinrin felt lightheaded. He went to his knees upon the deck.
Razan approached the boy with concern and a grandfatherly attitude. "Someone help him. He's bleeding badly. If it's not stopped, he'll die," the old man said as he looked up at the people around him. "Please, someone help him!"
"Quiet down old man," a guard said as he came towards that particular part of the group.
Razan watched in horror as Jinrin slumped to the floor. He shook the boy's shoulder. "Hey, stay with me! You can't leave your team! There's so much more you have to do," Razan said as he stared into the dark blank eyes of the boy.
Jinrin's vision blackened as he fell into an eternal slumber. The last words he heard were the old man's telling him to hold on. Jinrin, the replacement for Team 6, took his last breath in the arms of the old man whose name he did not know.
Masaru led the way as the slaves revolted against their captors. He kept fighting with them as they yelled in outrage. The guards didn't know what to think. He was sure they were taken aback. Most of the guards on the upper decks were dead, or wounded. It was time for him to meet up with his team. He ran down the steps to the lower deck where he knew Kiba was. Soon Yanagi was bound to follow.
Masaru threw his large shuriken at the guards who were keeping the crowd of slaves at bay. They moved back to throw kunai at him. He poofed as he used a substitution jutsu to appear behind them. He yelled as he kicked them in the back. Masaru punched a guard in the face as the man turned to unsheathe his sword.
Kiba looked up to see Masaru fighting the guards on the other side of the deck level. He now had a chance. The guards who were keeping him in place were focused on his student. Kiba went for several of the guards as he clawed at them. He swiped his claws upwards, slashing at their clothing. As he fought the guards, the crowd of slaves started to disperse. His eyes glanced to see Razan watching him with Jinrin in his arms. Kiba's breath almost left him. Jinrin was as pale as death's kiss. The boy had bled to death.
As the slaves started to attack the guards, they were met with more slaves from the decks above. Kiba watched in slow motion as the guards were overtaken by the slaves of the ship. He moved through the crowd, his feet hitting the floor. Kiba turned his head quickly to see a flash of fire erupt towards the other end of the deck. The slaves had started to crack open the lanterns. They were beginning to use the oil to ward the guards off.
Razan lowered his form as a bottle filled with oil was thrown over his head. A piece of cloth was hanging out. Razan saw the fire licking up the sides of the cloth as it soared. "Kiba, it's going to blow," he yelled at the top of his voice. The man came forward to shield him as he held onto Jinrin's body. The explosion erupted causing debris to fly. A hole was made in the side of the ship. Razan and Kiba both stared at the water starting to pour in. "We've got to get out of here! The ship is going to sink!"
Kiba lifted Jinrin's body onto his back. He urged the old man to stand. "Come on, with the water pouring down below, the guards won't worry about the slaves revolting! It's going to be every man for himself!"
Masaru turned his head as the slaves came running past him, their bodies becoming a blur of motion. "Sensei! What are we supposed to do?" His voice was caught in his throat as he noticed Jinrin behind hoisted on Kiba's back. Was he wounded?
"Masaru, help the others if you can! Try to get everyone to the top of the main deck," Kiba yelled as he ran to shuffle people out. He was leaving it in the boy's hands.
Masaru Uzumaki formed hand seals quickly to increase his chances of survival; along with everyone else's. He sent ten of his clones off to the lower decks to get the people to safety. As he turned on his heels, his white eyes flew past the pouring water, scanning to see if anyone was trapped.
Masaru saw a woman holding onto several children who was clutching onto the railing of one of the decks. He ran to her as fast as he could through the water. "Hang on! I'm coming for you!" He was thrown backwards by a barrel hitting him in the head. Masaru went under the water. He could hear the woman and children screaming for their lives. As Masaru became caught in the wave of water, he felt someone pulling on his arm. Masaru Uzumaki came up to the surface coughing and spewing water.
Yanagi pulled with all of her strength to lift him out of the water. "You're a better ninja than you are a merman, Masaru!" She stood watching him as she opened her sleeves. Hundreds of butterflies flew out of their confinement. Yanagi blew a kiss at the creatures sending a special mixture of dust at them. The butterflies started to grow. "Find the survivors! Carry them to safety," she instructed as they soared over her head.
The pink butterflies went below the decks full of water scanning and pulling slaves from the incoming water. As the slaves were hoisted onto their backs, they flew above the rising water darting around obstacles. Yanagi and Masaru ran to the top of the stairs with difficulty. They were being swept away with the strong current that was coming in. She screamed as she lost her footing. Yanagi was sent backwards into the water.
"YANAGI," Masaru yelled with his hand outstretched. "YANAGI!" Masaru held on for dear life, searching the water frantically.
Yanagi Lee breathed in water as she sunk below the seawater. As her dark eyes stared up into the darkness, she saw faces flash before her eyes. Yanagi couldn't move as the water pressed her down, holding her, in the cold prison she was in. She saw her parents smiling at her; her father training her when she was little. Yanagi saw Idai congratulating her on her training session. Masaru's happy face as they ate fruit while sitting in the trees. Daiya kissing her sweetly on the lips for the very first time. Yanagi blacked out.
Kiba dove into the water. He searched with all of his strength and ability to find Yanagi drifting with the current. He grunted as he kicked his legs to save her. He had already lost one student on the mission. Kiba Inuzuka punched the barrels moving around him hard to get them out of the way. As they moved aside, he pushed his feet on them to propel himself even closer. Yanagi was on the verge of drowning. Somehow, despite his fatigue, he put all of his might into the focus of rescuing her. Kiba latched onto Yanagi's sleeve. He pulled her towards him and spun his body around. As he moved around her, he grabbed her around the waist.
Masaru coughed as the water started to get higher. As he saw Kiba's head pop up, he signaled his clones to keep holding onto the railing of the deck ahead. He held his hand out for his trainer to grab on to.
Kiba swam with sheer determination to get out of the hellhole they were stuck in. He grabbed onto the boy's hand as he felt the force of the water. Kiba held onto Yanagi for dear life. He was trying to keep her from going back in. "Masaru, for once, I'm glad you didn't listen," he said as the boy and his clones pulled them to safety.
Once they were on the main deck, Kiba rushed to get Yanagi to breath. He opened her mouth and forced air down her throat. The slaves, who had fought so valiantly to be free, were watching in a hushed silence. He tried several times to get her to cough up the water. "Yanagi Lee, don't you dare," he swore.
Masaru stood, staring at his fallen teammate. His eyes were focused on Yanagi's lifeless body. As he watched Kiba blow air into the girl's mouth repeatedly, he realized Jinrin was not helping. Masaru looked around at everyone who was watching them. The ship was starting to tilt. "Ah!" Masaru fell to his side.
Kiba turned Yanagi's head as she finally started to spew water. He breathed hard as her eyes opened to search the area. The sun overhead was blazing as Kiba lifted her. "Can you stand? Masaru, instruct them to grab onto anything they can. This ship's going down."
Masaru ran to tear down the large masts with his shuriken. As the iron ripped through the wood, the masts fell. Slaves scrambled to grab onto them. Others who couldn't get a hold of the masts were seeking after barrels. Masaru, Kiba, and Yanagi leapt off the bridge of the ship as it started to sink. The slaves were all swimming away as floating planks drifted to the surface.
Yanagi and her team watched the ship of no return sink below the sea. Her eyes searched the many people for one last person. "Sensei, where's Jinrin?" She and Masaru looked at Kiba.
Kiba held onto a piece of the ship that was drifting with the two kids. "Jinrin didn't make it," he said softly. Their eyes widened. "He died trying to free the slaves."
Yanagi felt the world around her stop. The boy who had hit on her constantly for attention – the boy who had helped fight alongside her and Masaru, was gone. Yanagi didn't hear a word Kiba said after that. She only drifted with her team and the survivors.
Yanagi placed a picture of Jinrin on the monument of those who had fallen in the battle against the nine tails fox. She lit incense as she put a plush panther near the photo. Masaru and Kiba stood behind her as she lowered her head. Yanagi sang softly, with heart for the boy who loved to use panthers in his jutsus.